Ebony and Grey
by PrettyLittleNem
Summary: Two powerful influentual daughters in the Realms meet...and change the world for the next generation.


**Title:**

Ebony and Grey

**Author:**

PrettyLittleNem

**Genre:**

Fantasy

**Series:**

The Dark Jewel Trilogy

**Rating:**

PG13

**Notes:**

Uhm...yeah. 'Ebony and Grey' is just a working title right now. And...uh...this will all make more sense if you've read the DJT _and_ Invisible Ring. At least in the long run.

**Boring disclaimer schtuff:** Daemon, Jaenelle, Saetan, Lucivar, Daemonar, Dorthea, Surreal, etc etc are all copywrite Anne Bishop. Pataena, Howell, Luci and Kern are all my brain babies. So yeah!   
  
  
**1/Kaeleer**   
  
    Daemon Sadi. The Sadist. In all seven years of her life, Pataena never thought she'd be face to face with _the Sadist_! She had heard stories from her father about Daemon and how he was known for...well something else besides helping save Terrielle and Kaeleer from the taint of Dorthea SaDiablo. Her father had mumbled the last part, so it must be something he didn't want his young daughter to know about. Tae's escort, Howell stood quietly behind her. The awe of Ebon Askavi and Daemon's prescence must have hit him hard. Howell was only an eleven year old Summer-sky Warlord...and in Tae's opinion, kind of a wimp. She fleetingly wondered if she should have left him behind in Terrielle.   
    Jaenelle walked up behind Daemon in a pair of dirt-soiled overalls. She cleared her throat as she placed a hand on Daemon's shoulder. "Please don't startle our guests, dear."   
    Daemon turned to his wife with a kicked puppy look in his eyes. She returned it with a stern, but loving glance. Jaenelle might no longer be Witch, Daemon thought, but she was definately still Queen of Ebon Askavi.   
    Jaenelle eyed the young girl. "Draca said you wanted to talk to me."   
    Tae squirmed slightly. That woman, Draca had greatly unnerved her. "Yes Lady." Tae said politely. "I heard this is the best court to serve in...if your Ladyship would allow me to."   
    Daemon raised an eyebrow. That was awfully formal talk for such a young girl. There was something she wasn't letting on. He lightly sent out a probe just to skim the girl's thoughts. His probe was instantly greeted by a Green mind shield. Sure, he could have broken through it, but Mother Night, if a young Green jewelled Queen didn't want to be probed he'd honour that. Especially when he could find the same information out another way.   
    Jaenelle quirked a brow as well. Young girls usually didn't go wandering around alone asking Queens for the chance to serve. A small smile crept across Jaenelle's face. Alright, so perhaps young Queens _did_ go wandering around. "Alright," she finally said. "You may stay..."   
    "Mama! Mama!" A girl, close to Tae's age ran in. Her blonde hair bounced behind her and her gold eyes sparkled. "Lookie what I got!!"   
    Daemon cringed. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, as they say. And Luci was practically an exact copy of Jaenelle. Luci asked the same questions that Jaenelle had asked. The ones that made a grown man groan. Whenever presented with a question he didn't want to answer, he'd say 'Go ask Mama' or better yet, 'Go ask Grandpa Saetan'. The High Lord of Hell was getting good at answering the questions of curious young girls.   
    "Look! Look!" Luci interrupted Daemon's refletions. She held out one uncut Black jewel.   
    "Hells fire, Mother Night, and May the Darkness be merciful!" Daemon swore.   
    Howell echoed that.   
    "Did Lorn give you any more of those?" Jaenelle asked calmly.   
    Luci pouted. "Only one like this. But I have a whole bag of pretty coloured ones! He said it was only for practice until I give the Offering."   
    Howell swore again. "Practice?!"   
    Tae turned to her escort sharply. "Hush!"   
    Luci ran over to Tae and gave her a cursory glance. Then she glanced back at Howell who was staring at his feet. "Doesn't Lorn give you special gifts when you visit him?" She asked quizically.   
    "Mother Night!" Howell groaned. "When _I_ visit Lorn?"   
    "Most Blood don't visit Lorn, Luci." Jaenelle explained calmly. "Only a special few."   
    Luci made a soft humph noise. "He could use the company." Without warning, she grabbed Tae's arm. "Come on. Come meet my friends!" She dragged Tae towards the door. "Don't worry. Your Consort can take your things to your room."   
    Howell choked. He wasn't a Consort. Tae was only seven! She hadn't even made the Offering! Nonetheless set up a court! Luci had dragged Tae away by the time Howell regained his wits.   
    "Hell's fire, Jaenelle," Daemon shook his head. "She's you."   
    "She's you too," Jaenelle smiled slyly. "Those aren't my gold eyes she's breaking hearts with."   
    Howell fidgeted and coughed.   
    Daemon turned his attention to the boy who had become uncomfortable with this new line of conversation. "Oh. Right. Allow me to show you to your Lady's quarters." He gave his wife a quick peck on the cheek, then guided the boy to the room.   
  
    Luci had dragged Tae all over Kaeleer. They had visited Kindred and human alike in Tigrelan, Scelt, Aracna, and Centauran. Tae was completely overwhelmed. She had grown up on the stories of Witch and her hodge-pdge inner circle...but she never dreamed she'd be meeting Kindred - as there were non in Terrielle. When Tae had asked Luci how she could talk to them, Luci had hugged indignantly. She mumbled something about how Kaelas was right about the Blood being obvilivious to other ways of communication, and preceeded to teach her how to do it. By the time they returned to the Keep, Tae was exhausted...but she had never had more fun in her life.   
    "I'm going to be the Queen of Ebon Askavi." Luci grinned as the two girls relaxed in the library. "Momma says so. But right now she's the unofficial Queen. At least that's what Auntie Gabrielle and Grandpa Saetan say." She playfully scratched Mern's ears, a young Arcerian Warlord Prince that had decided it was his duty to escort the girls home. Somehow, he conveniently forgot to leave and had fallen asleep next to his Queen. "Until I'm old enough to set up my own court, and take over, ya know?"   
    "That's a lot of responsibility..." Tae spoke softly. "Aren't you scared? Don't you ever feel like running away?"   
    "Scared? Of course not! I've got Momma and Papa and Uncle Lucivar and Grandpa Saetan and Grandma Sylvia...and..."   
    "And people and Kindred that you don't even realize already serve you," came a gruff, tired male voice.   
    "Grandpa Saetan!!" Luci squealed as she jumped up and ran over to Saetan, squashing Mern's tail in the process.   
    *OUCH!* came the startled tiger's cry. *Lady! Perhaps you should be more careful where you step.* He snarled.   
    "Or maybe you should curl your tail up next to your body like a normal cat." Luci stuck her tongue out at Mern as Saetan picked her up.   
    Mern only gave a non-descript grunt in reply.   
    Tae blinked at Saetan. Saetan Daemon SaDiablo. The High Lord of Hell...and Luci's _grandfather_. No wonder Luci wasn't afraid of anything - look around at her family!   
    "Who's your friend?"   
    "This is Tae! She's in Mama's fifth circle now!"   
    "Oh really," Saetan smiled, putting Luci back down. He was getting to old to do that...or maybe she was getting too heavy. "In that case, welcome to the Keep, Lady."   
    Tae flushed slightly. The High Lord of Hell seemed...really nice, actually. She decided she'd like it here - once she got used to being surrounded by incredibly powerful people. Yes, this would be much better than home.   
  
  
**2/Kaeleer**   
    "And she said she's from where?" Lucivar looked up at Daemon, pausing from sharpening Daemonar's spear.   
    "She _didn't_ say, Lucivar. And the boy who followed her here wasn't about to betray his Queen."   
    "Smart boy," Lucivar mumbled. "If she's a Green-jewelled Queen now...imagine what she'll be later." He put the spear down. "Why don't you just send out a 'found Queen' fliers around the provinces?"   
    "She can't be from Kaeleer..." Daemon sighed. "But if she's from Terrielle, how'd she get here by herself?"   
    "She wasn't by herself," Lucivar pointed out.   
    "Howell is a Summer-sky Warlord."   
    Daemonar stepped out of the house. He was 13 now, and had...calmed down a bit since the first time Daemon had met him.   
    "Daemon." Daemonar greeted his uncle nonchalantly. He picked up the spear and tested it's sharpness with his finger.   
    "Daemonar." Daemon greeted back.   
    "It's still a bit dull, but it's good enough for friendly sparring."   
    "Friendly sparring?" Daemon quirked a brow.   
    "Yeah, Jaenelle was asking around for a spar."   
    "Suprise suprise," Daemon muttered.   
    "Mom would have sparred with her, but...well she's in her eighth month."   
    "She's grumpy about that," Lucivar laughed a bit. "But incredibly pregnant women shouldn't be fighting."   
    Daemonar twirled the spear in his hands. "I'll be back once Jaenelle beats me a few times."   
    Lucivar shot a glare at his son.   
    "Don't worry dad," Daemonar grunted as he walked away, "I don't _let_ her win...she kicks my ass on her own strength."   
    Both Daemon and Lucivar laughed.   
    "Now where were we?" Lucivar paused. "Oh yes, this Pataena girl. Why don't you just go around Terrielle and ask about her?"   
    A small smile passed Daemon's lips - the kind that reminded Lucivar of Daemon's days as 'The Sadist'.   
    "No...I think I'll send somebody to ask around..."   
  
  
**3/Terrielle**   
    Surreal griped as she went to rent a horse from a nearby landed town. 'Low-key' Daemon had said. That meant she had to _ride_ everywhere. No Grey Winds. Just a horse between her legs for months. Hell's fire, how did she get talked into this stuff? Well that was a stupid question, Surreal knew damn well how she got suckered into this. Nobody can resist Daemon's subtle seduction tendrils. Not even a happily married woman.   
    Stepping into the stable, Surreal cleared her throat. A landen man stepped out, pausing only briefly as he saw the jewel hanging around her neck. "How may I help you?" He questioned cautiously.   
    "I need a horse. I'll be riding for a while...so a strong one is prefered."   
    "Of course. You may pick any horse here you like and take it."   
    "I'm going to pay for it." Surreal stated as she moved to the closest stall to pet a chestnut stallion's nuzzle.   
    The landen eased a little. The realms had been rid of Dorthea SaDiablo's stench for a while, but the landeds were still uneasy around the Blood.   
    "I'll just take this one." Surreal sighed, opening the stall and leading the horse towards the tack room.   
    The landed saddled the stallion and was given the bag of gold Daemon had given her for the transportation fees. It was more than enough. In fact, it was generous for just one horse.   
    "The sooner I find this girl's family, the sooner I can return to a warmed bed." Surreal said aloud to the horse as they trotted out of the town. "So let's hope we find them soon." She turned the horse towards Hayll and sped away. 


End file.
